Known lighting devices can be controlled using mechanical switches to turn the lighting devices on or off, or to dim up and down the amount of light emitted by the lighting device.
Connected lighting systems have been growing in popularity in recent times. A known connected lighting system comprises a plurality of lighting devices connected by a mesh network. Each of the plurality of lighting devices are identified by a unique fixed identifier known as a media access control (MAC) address that is based on the manufacturer of the lighting device and type of lighting device. Each of the plurality of lighting devices is able to function as a bridge between the mesh network and a Wi-Fi network. However only one of the plurality of lighting devices is permitted to operate as bridge between the mesh network and a Wi-Fi network at any one time. A control device such as a smartphone that is connected to the Wi-Fi network is operable to connect to the lighting device operating as the bridge in order to transmit control data to the plurality of lighting devices. A software application executed on the control device, enables a user of the control device to control the light emitted from the plurality of lighting devices e.g. turn one or more of the lighting devices on or off, dim up or down the amount of light emitted by one or more of the lighting devices, control the brightness of the light emitted by one or more of the lighting devices, and control the color of the light emitted by one or more of the lighting devices.
FIG. 1 illustrates a scenario whereby a control device 102 is connected to the lighting device operating as the bridge via an access point 104. Alternatively the control device 102 may connect to the lighting device operating as the bridge directly via the Wi-Fi network, this scenario is illustrated in FIG. 2.